Smolensk tragedy killed Poland Guide

The plane with Polish President Lech Kaczynski on board crashed near Smolensk. This told Reuters the Polish authorities.

Near Smolensk at 10:56 MSK (9:56 Kiev) during landing crashed Tu-154, flying from Poland to Smolensk, Russian Emergency Situations Ministry reported.

In addition to the Polish President and his wife in a plane flew the last president of Poland in exile Ryszard Kaczorowski, President of the Institute of National Remembrance in Poland Janusz Kurtyka Bishop Division of the Polish Army General Tadeusz flat, Orthodox Bishop of the Polish Army and Brigadier General Miron Chodakovski and head of the National Bank of Poland Slawomir Skshipek .

12 photos of the tragic and equally sad letters via mignews & news.ru.msn.com

P.S. Please provide comments to refrain from criticism of the identity of the deceased. Today, a day of mourning in Russia.



At the scene rescue services, established the cause and circumstances of the crash. The authorities of Poland have confirmed that on board the plane that crashed near Smolensk, were Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife.

"The plane came in to land in heavy fog. On board were 97 people, including Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife, "- said the representative of the ICPO.

According to him, on Saturday, April 10, at approximately 10:50, Moscow time, the Tu-154 tried to land on the outskirts of the city of Pechora

At the crash site investigators and criminologists have left the Investigation Department of the UPC on the Smolensk region and transport Investigative Directorate of the Russian Federation.



On board the Tu-154 were 97 people, 89 of whom were part of the official Polish delegation that flew to Russia to participate in the funeral ceremony on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the tragedy at Katyn. All on board were killed.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev informed about the tragedy.

To investigate the circumstances of the crash near Smolensk, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has created a government commission headed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. As directed by the President of the Russian Federation at the place of the crash flies Minister of Emergency Situations Sergei Shoigu.



11:18 According to the Polish edition of Wprost, President Lech Kaczynski died in a plane crash near Smolensk.

11:32 The plane of Polish President Lech Kaczynski, who crashed in the Smolensk region on Saturday, there were 132 people, the official said the Investigative Directorate of the Russian Federation Vladimir Markin.

"On Saturday, on the outskirts of Smolensk Pechora region during landing at the airport of the North in heavy fog crashed Tu-154 of the President of Poland. Which was carrying 132 people, including the president and his wife, "- said Markin.

"Conduct an initial investigation. Information about the specified dead, "- he added. According to the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry, during emergency killing all people on board.

11:47 Zamglavkoma Air Force Air Defence, Lieutenant-General Sergey Razygraev believes that the crash of the Tu-154 carrying the Polish delegation headed by President of the country, is not related to the quality of the airport "North" near Smolensk.

"Airfield" North "- a first-class, and I do not think that this catastrophe in some way connected with it (the airfield - Ed.)", - The general said Saturday in an interview with radio station "Echo of Moscow».

However, he stressed that "information on this subject quite scanty, and to make any conclusions until early." At the same time, on the orders of President Dmitry Medvedev to the crash site near Smolensk airplane crashes Transport Minister Igor Levitin, reported the press service of the Kremlin.



12:04 According to preliminary data, the cause of the accident Tu-154 crashed near Smolensk, was the mistake of the crew, said a source in the power structures of the Central Federal District of Russia.

"Presumably, the cause of the accident was the crew error during a landing maneuver," - said the source.

The crashed aircraft were Polish President Lech Kaczynski, the wife of the head of Poland Maria Kaczynska, the last president of Poland in exile Ryshrad Kaczorowski, head of the Institute of National Remembrance Janusz Kurtyka, vice-speaker of the Polish Sejm Jerzy Szmajdzinski, head of the Office of the President of Poland Wladyslaw Stasiak, the head of the Polish National Security Bureau Alexander Schiglo ministers in the Office of the President Paul Wypych and Mariusz Handzlik, Secretary General of the Polish Council for the Protection of Memory of Struggle and Martyrdom Andrzej Pshevoznik, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Kremer, head of the General Staff of the Polish Army Frantisek Gongor, chairman of the National Bank of Poland Slawomir Skshipek known MPs Polish Sejm Przemyslaw Gosevsky Zbigniew Wasserman, Jolanta Shymanek-Deresh and Isabella Yaruga-Nowacki.



12:09 Prime Minister Donald Tusk called an extraordinary meeting of the government in connection with today's plane crash that killed President Lech Kaczynski. Donald Tusk, who is now in Gdansk, serving in Warsaw. Duties of the President of Poland, according to the Constitution, shall discharge head of the Polish Sejm Bronislaw Komorowski.

12:20 A criminal case on the fact that occurred near Smolensk plane crash in which flown Polish President Lech Kaczynski and about 130 people, was opened under Part 3 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code (violation of safety rules of air transport, resulting in the death of two or more persons ), it said in a statement on the website ICPO.

"The investigation is considering different versions of what happened, including adverse weather conditions, human error, technical malfunctions and other", - the report says.

The head of the Investigative Committee at the Prosecutor's Office (ICPO) of the Russian Federation Alexander Bastrykin on the orders of President Dmitry Medvedev takes off on the place crash in the Smolensk region, the press service of the Kremlin.



12:53 Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Sejm Marshal of the Polish president and his brother Jaroslaw Kaczynski on the crash of the Tu-154 near Smolensk.

According to Sikorski, Donald Tusk, after learning of the death of the president, he began to cry.

13:20 According to some data the Emergencies Ministry, the Polish delegation on the plane that crashed Saturday in Smolensk region, 96 people were reported on Saturday, a representative of the Ministry of Emergencies of Russia. Previously, the agency reported that on board were 88 people who were killed.

"On board the plane, according to updated data, there were 97 people, 89 of them - members of the delegation," - said the representative of Ministry of Emergency Situations.

At the same time, the Polish Foreign Ministry said that on board the Tu-154 found bodies of 88 people, with one of the Polish news agencies reported about the three survivors, but the Foreign Ministry did not confirm this information.



13:28 President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych expressed his condolences to the Polish people over the death of Polish President Lech Kaczynski.

13:45 The State Duma Chairman Boris Gryzlov called bereavement death in a plane crash of Polish President Lech Kaczynski. "The Russian people are mourning together with the Polish people", - quotes the words of the speaker of the Duma on Saturday the management of public relations and media relations.

Gryzlov expressed his deep condolences to the families and friends of Lech Kaczynski, the relatives of all the victims of this catastrophe - the citizens of Poland. "Today our main task - to find out the reasons for what happened," - said the chairman of the State Duma.

The head of the International Committee of the State Duma Konstantin Kosachev, shocked by the news about the crash of the Polish plane. "I express my most profound condolences to the families and friends of the President of Poland and the Polish people - is not just a great human tragedy, but also a political tragedy - the death of the head of state" - said Kosachev.

He said he felt "shock and horror" of this news. "Shuddered soul of knowing that Katyn took new victims," ​​- said the Russian parliamentarian.

He noted that now the most important thing - to organize rescue efforts to find survivors of the plane crash. Kosachev said that the call to Warsaw to his colleague - the head of the International Committee of the Polish Sejm Andrzej Halitskomu and expressed his condolences in connection with the terrible tragedy.

"I also call colleagues, members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. They, like me, shocked by what happened, "- said Kosachev.

Russia's permanent representative to NATO Dmitry Rogozin said that condolences over the death of the Polish president, his wife and passenger plane flying to Katyn, his Polish counterpart - the head of the mission to NATO Bohuslav Vinidu. "I said that Russian diplomats are shocked by what happened," - said Rogozin.



14:02 As reported by the prosecutor's office in Russia, according to preliminary data, the plane crashed Lech Kaczynski caught the tops of trees in heavy fog.

At the scene works investigative team Investigative Directorate of the Smolensk region, and representatives of the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Emergency Situations and other services.

According to Polish television "Polsat" Tu-154 government delegation with the President of Poland on board four times trying to go to the land, to sit on the runway airport in Smolensk. The fourth landing attempt ended in tragedy, as in the morning over the airport in Smolensk was a thick fog.

Meanwhile, the agency "Interfax" reports that the Belarusian air traffic controllers warned the Tu-154 of the poor weather conditions in Smolensk, but the crew decided to proceed to its destination. Earlier ICPO voiced the possible causes of the accident, including bad weather conditions, human error or technical problems.

Upon crash of Polish President Lech Kaczynski, a criminal case under the article on violation of safety regulations during flights.



14:05 Yulia Tymoshenko expresses condolences in connection with the death in a plane crash of President Lech Kaczynski. "I express my deepest condolences on the plane crash today near Smolensk. This is a terrible tragedy that is difficult to understand and impossible to realize. Even one life is priceless, "- said in a statement.

According to Yulia Tymoshenko, even more tragic when people go, that define the face of Europe and the world. "That such a man was President of the Polish Republic Lech Kaczynski - a true Polish patriot and friend of Ukraine. I want to express my condolences to the family and relatives of the victims. I bow my head in sorrow together with the Polish people who suffered an irreparable loss ", - said Tymoshenko.

14:18 Russia will do everything possible to investigate the plane crash near Smolensk, which killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

"We have established a state commission to investigate the catastrophe. We will do everything so that all the questions that arise in such situations have been resolved more quickly, "- the minister said at a press conference in Kiev.

14:44 One of the two "black boxes" found at the site of the crash of the Polish Tu-154 near Smolensk. Orange flight data recorder was shown on the First channel during the live broadcast from the crash site. Judging by the picture, the recorder from the outside has not received significant damage, although it is covered in soot.

For information about finding a flight recorder administration official confirmed the Smolensk region. "At the crash site found some" black box "- he said.

He also reported that the bodies of those killed in the crash will soon be moved from the accident site in specially deployed for this tent. Official representatives of the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) and the Federal Air Transport Agency information about finding the "black box" has not yet commented.



14:51 The plane of Polish President Lech Kaczynski, who crashed today in the Russian city of Smolensk, there were 88 people. He told reporters in Warsaw, a spokesman for the Polish Foreign Ministry Piotr Paszkowski.

He noted that the list of passengers was 89, of whom one has left for Russia. "Unfortunately, most likely that all 88 passengers who were on board were killed," - he said.

15:15 The plane, which was Poland's president, fell short of runway airport "North" literally 500-700 meters. "At an altitude of about 20 meters liner Polish president brushed the tops of trees and falling apart," - said an eyewitness.

The ATC Smolensk region confirmed that the plane's fuselage broke into several pieces. "Currently at the crash site, the search for the flight recorders," - said the duty officer.

It should be noted that the pilot crashed the plane of Polish President Lech Kaczynski were military pilots from the elite regiment of the Polish Air Force 36. This regiment is engaged in transportation of higher state officials and military commanders. On Tu-154 pilots flew the 200 hours. Total available to the regiment were two Tu-154 and two Yak

According to Polish media, the flag at the presidential palace launched. In connection with the crash of the Polish president declared a national week of mourning, the newspaper Wiadomosci citing a statement by the Acting President head of the Sejm Bronislaw Komorowski.

The date of the election of a new president must be announced no later than 14 days after the death of Kaczynski.

Election of the new President of Poland shall be held not later than 60 days after the death of former head of state. Acting President Marshal of the Sejm may also take part in them.

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations sends rescuers and forensic experts in the Smolensk region.

"At 15:14 and 15:23 (or at 14:14 and 14:23 in Kiev - Ed.) To the airfield near Moscow Ramenskoye flew two Mi-8 helicopters with rescue teams and forensic experts on board & quot ;, - the information department of the Russian Emergencies Ministry . Currently on the site of the plane crash that killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski, has over one hundred employees EMERCOM of Russia, located on the site of Russian Minister of Emergency Situations Sergei Shoigu.



"To identify many of the dead will require additional expertise, including DNA," - he said.

The crew of the Polish president, who crashed Saturday in Smolensk region, repeatedly failed to comply with directives flights airport manager "Smolensk", said First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Russian Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexander Alyoshin.

"At a distance of 1, 5 kilometer flight management team discovered that the crew increased vertical rate of descent and began to descend below the glide path. The Flight crew gave the command to transfer the aircraft to horizontal flight, and when the crew did not follow the instructions, several times gave the command to care the alternate. Nevertheless, the crew continued to decline. Unfortunately, it ended tragically, "- said Aleshin.

He also said that in the terminal area "Smolensk", next to which there was a plane crash on Saturday were expected bad weather. "The weather conditions at the airport meteorological department staff evaluated. And on this day, weather conditions difficult to expect, including from 10 o'clock the fog was expected ", - said Aleshin.

He said that the Tu-154 "at a distance of 50 kilometers entered the zone." & quot; (crew), flight director has been notified that the weather is below the meteorological conditions of the aerodrome, and the crew was advised to leave the alternate & quot ;, - said Aleshin.

According to him, the crew decided that performs approach. "It is not contrary to the practice - the final decision on the adoption of the landing or departure of the alternate takes crew commander" - said Aleshin.

He noted that the crew of the Polish plane performed nominally approach to an altitude of 100 meters.



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